A SUPER slimmer who has lost more than nine stone has won a national award for her efforts.

Laurie Wells - who struggled with her weight from childhood and was nicknamed articulated' by her classmates because of her Christian name and weight - has dropped from 20 stone 8lbs to 11 stone 6lbs, and a size 26 to size 12.

The 35-year-old mum of three, of Great House Road, St John's, Worcester, lost the weight after a cancer scare. Now she has been crowned Slimming World's Consultant Slimmer Of The Year.

"It's just been amazing," the supply teacher at Our Lady Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Primary School said. "It took a cancer scare to make me realise how big I was; I needed an operation and the doctor told me that I was morbidly obese and there may be compilcations due to this.

"Then I went on holiday and looked at pictures of myself when I got back - that was the last straw."

She had been inspired to lose weight by a friend and went to their slimming class.

She ditched her milky coffees, creamy curries and cheese and biscuits and followed a diet of plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats, pasta, rice and potatoes.

"It's changed my life," she said. "And it means I can even go shopping with my teenage daughters Jessica, 15, and Ellie, 13, and share clothes."

Mrs Wells received a cheque for £1,000 and an all-expenses paid trip to London where she dined in Nobu restaurant and even appeared on GMTV's LK Today alongside Dr Hilary Jones.